Fun-filled school holiday program from Mansfield Shire Youth

Published on 05 May 2025

Mansfield Shire Youth wrapped up another successful school holiday program, teaming up once again with local businesses and community groups to deliver a diverse range of activities and workshops for over 70 young people.

One of the most popular events was a two-hour horse ride with Watson’s Trail Rides, followed by freshly made damper cooked over a fire at the Youth Centre. With a mix of experienced riders and first-timers, the event sold out within 24 hours — proving that horse riding and outdoor adventures remain a favourite among Mansfield’s young people.

The 2024 Youth Advisory Group took the lead on a new initiative: a wood-fired pizza oven and vegetable garden at the youth centre. These additions were put to great use during Mansfield Shire Youth’s “Chop and Chat” session, where 12 young chefs created homemade pizzas from scratch using ingredients harvested straight from the garden. The second session featured a Mexican-themed menu, including steak chimichurri tacos, Mexican street corn and horchata.

Creativity was also in full swing during “Crafternoon,” which focused on Junk Art. Young artists demonstrated their skills by crafting wind chimes from upcycled materials, turning discarded items into eco-friendly artworks.

Mayor Cr Steve Rabie said Council was proud to offer such a diverse range of programs to young people in Mansfield.

“It’s fantastic that we can help young people get out to experience what we have in our own backyard,” he said.

“We’ve designed the program to support our local businesses too. It’s an approach that has been really well received.

“The Youth Centre really is a hub of activity now. It’s a great place to be, with the pizza oven firing up and young people really engaging with the space. It’s so good to see,” Cr Rabie said.

Members of the FReezA Committee travelled to Melbourne for the annual FReezA Summit. The event offered valuable workshops in event management, content creation, problem-solving and more. Committee members had the opportunity to hear from Natalie Suleyman, Victoria’s Minister for Youth, who emphasised the importance of programs like FReezA — especially for young people aspiring to careers in the creative industries. The Summit also saw the announcement of an exciting rebrand of FReezA, which will soon be named Amplify.

Throughout the holidays, the Mansfield Youth Centre extended its opening hours, having many young people enjoying the space’s many facilities, including the basketball court, pool table, Xbox, music room, board games and more.

For updates on what’s in store for the upcoming winter holiday program, follow Mansfield Shire Youth on socials. There are many exciting plans on the way.